Contents
“Feeling good is not a state, but an action,” sisters Emily and Amelia Nagoski point out in their book Burnout. Sounds good, but it’s really not that simple. How to cope with burnout, what are the causes of constant fatigue and what is the action plan to return to an active life?
Why burnout occurs
In 1974, American psychiatrist Herbert Freudenberger coined the concept of burnout syndrome. According to a study by Regus, 53% of office workers worldwide are close to burnout, both men and women.
Stress and the general condition of the body are to blame for everything. With fatigue, lack of useful substances that act as fuel, and overstrain, the body begins to sound the alarm and give signals. Burnout does not always manifest itself through passivity and the inability to force oneself to do something. Sometimes people get agitated, agitated, irritable and exaggerate everything.
Overt stress is indicated by monotonously repetitive actions, such as twisting hair around a finger, pulling out curls, wiggling a leg, or biting nails. Disruptions in the functioning of the body also become a clear factor: a scratch heals longer than usual, a headache, aching joints, and frequent colds. These are all physical signs of stress.
Overloading your body is very simple – regular lack of sleep, a broken regimen and an unbalanced diet are enough.
Additionally, chronic diseases, unfavorable environmental conditions, lack of physical activity or excessively intense exercise add fuel to the fire. The icing on the cake is stress at work or in your personal life.
There is also a special trap – people whose profession is associated with communication and a large number of people are more prone to burnout, for example, service workers, teachers, doctors, psychologists. The more the specialist is in demand, the expectations and scope of tasks, the greater the risks.
In psychology, the “rescuer syndrome” is often distinguished – the more a person takes on himself and tries to help everyone, sacrificing personal boundaries and his interests, the higher the likelihood of disappointment and burnout due to underestimated efforts.
Balance in everything
Of course, there are internal processes that also affect fatigue, burnout and frequent illness. To find out what is the reason, it is important to consult a doctor at the first violations of well-being. And not only to the therapist, but also to the gynecologist, endocrinologist and neurologist.
Women’s energy and tone are most dependent on the hormonal background and the functioning of the nervous system. Any stress is a serious challenge for the body, but the worst thing is that you can get stuck in it. In itself, nervous tension is a natural process until it becomes chronic. As a result, burnout provokes many unpleasant consequences, up to a change in the reproductive function of the body.1.
We outline an action plan
1. Set boundaries and clearly separate work and personal space
Find time for yourself and organize leisure activities – let it be a new hobby, visiting theaters, cinemas or exhibitions. It is important to introduce movement into life, and not lock yourself up at home surrounded by TV shows and fast food. It is better to forget about the latter in general. Life does not end with work, it should be rich and full of different experiences that you need to organize yourself.
2. Set up a sleep schedule
The duration should be at least 8 hours, it is better to always go to bed at the same time as you wake up – then circadian rhythms that affect well-being and mood are normalized. Take breaks, rest, alternate activities and do not forget about the required vacation, you can also discuss with the employer the possibility of a salary increase – this is often one of the reasons for burnout. Money is an important part of the prevention of burnout and, in general, the standard of living and self-worth of a person.
3. Try to eat right and exercise
After visiting the doctor, check-up and tests, proceed to decisive action. The first thing to do is to make sure that you have a balanced diet and the body receives enough vitamins and calories for life. Diets can also affect fatigue and well-being, so postpone them until better times. You can and should count calories, but more importantly is the value of food consumed and the benefits for the body. Add physical activity – sports or walking will help produce the hormones of happiness that are needed to deal with stress and congestion.
4. Take vitamins and phytoestrogens
You can also maintain hormonal balance and vitality with the help of additional intake of complex vitamins and phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are plant substances obtained from “female herbs” and plants, similar in structure to the human sex hormones – estrogens. They effectively cope with the unpleasant symptoms of PMS and menopause, restore hormonal balance, normalize mood and well-being, restore energy and sexuality.
Unlike heavy artillery – synthetic hormones, phytoestrogens do not have side effects, but at the same time, accumulating in the body, they are quite capable of restoring the harmony and joy of being a woman.
The main trinity of immunoprotectors – zinc, vitamins C and D will help you to be less moping and support your immunity.
They are an important fuel for the production and operation of immune cells. It is impossible to allow a deficiency of these trace elements in the body – the risks of catching the disease and recovering for a long time increase. Meanwhile, in winter, a deficiency of these microelements is observed in many Russians. Good help to restore the body and the main antioxidants – vitamins A, E, vitamins of group B.
Of particular importance for women are also selenium, iron, iodine and magnesium. Replenishing all these micronutrients becomes more and more important with age. But it’s not enough just to take vitamins – they must be taken correctly, so choose a well-balanced complex of vitamins and minerals right away, only in this way all the microelements will be absorbed by the body and will not cause harm, and you will also avoid the risk of overdose.
Lady’s formula
There are special biocomplexes that combine all the vitamins, minerals and phytoestrogens necessary for women. Perfect for restoring immunity and energy ® ™. It fully justifies its name and can do much more than just vitamins. 32 components work to restore the female body, protecting against adverse factors: stress, colds, overwork. 17 vitamins, 13 minerals, 11 of which are immunoprotectors, including the main trinity – zinc, vitamins D3 and C – will restore confidence in your immunity.
Strengthen the action of vitamins and minerals tonic extracts of Echinacea purpurea and ginkgo biloba. Echinacea is a well-known herbal immunostimulating and antiviral agent. Ginkgo biloba improves brain function, supports capillary health, relieves tension and calms.
Complementing this unique cocktail are dong quai plant extracts and wild yam with phytoestrogens. They help to normalize hormonal balance – the basis of strong immunity, energy and good mood. Phytoestrogens relieve premenstrual tension, facilitate menopause, eliminate nervousness, fatigue, increase libido and, in fact, have an anti-age effect on the entire body.
The complex can also be used to recover from an illness, to speed up recovery, as a preventive measure during the season of increased morbidity. If you often get tired, get sick, mope, don’t have the strength to make any changes, start taking small steps towards improving the situation, give your body the necessary resources, and then there will be more strength for further steps. A properly selected biocomplex with a good composition will help restore the immunity to its previous active status and say goodbye to burnout.
1 Kubasov R.V. “Hormonal changes in response to extreme environmental factors” // Bulletin of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. 2014. No. 9–10